Google (contacts/calendar) to iCloud. what is the best way?

[jafo818]

And what about those that use Windows like me?

 

[timtoggs]

Got me there.

 

[rstark18]

Ok this is very easy.
Delete your gmail account on your phone. If using exchange they will disappear.
Plug phone into iTunes.
Sync iTunes with gmail using your gmail login ID in contacts menu. This gets the contacts onto your phone.
Uncheck the sync contacts with gmail in iTunes.
Unplug your phone. The contacts will still be there.
Turn on iCloud contacts insettings. The contacts will sync with iCloud minus any date fields.

 

[jafo818]

I found this article and it works. The key is to delete the default iCloud Contact that gets added. Ensure there are no contacts in the list. Then you can import your Google Contacts via the vCard file.

One caveat... Many of the addresses are missing. And those that do carry over are all in one field, and I had to break them out to their correct fields. This was pointed out by bonesb so he is absolutely correct.

How To Transfer Google Contacts To iCloud? ? iHowToGuide

 

[csal80]

It's fairly easy to move from Google to iCloud. Here is what I did:

Desktop method:
- Export all your contacts from Gmail
- Export your calendars from Google Calendars
- Import them into iCal and Address Book (or whatever equivalent in Windows) and they will sync (got to have iCloud sync setup of course).

iOS method:
- Add your Exchange gmail account in iOS settings and allow it to grab all your data (has to be Exchange for contacts to sync).
- Once all your contacts and calendars synced (confirm they all show up in Contacts.app), go to settings and delete the gmail account.
- You will be promoted to delete the data from the phone or keep it, choose to keep it.
- Now you have a local copy of your data on your phone.
- Add your iCloud account and it will sync the local copy to the cloud

Hope this makes sense.

What happens if I want to keep syncing with google for my contacts? I don't want to use icloud for this. What is the best way to go about this without creating duplicate contacts?

 

[melwan]

When I delete it, it deletes all my contacts associated with my gmail account as well. Is there a step I'm missing to transfer the contacts to my device?

When you remove the Exchange account, it should prompt you if you want to delete the data on the phone or keep it.

If it's not displaying this prompt (which is weird), try not deleting the exchange account, but rather just disable the contacts sync from settings for that exchange account. See if you get that prompt now.

I tried this process back in one of the earlier betas and it worked as I listed the instructions. Not sure if Apple changed something in the final release.

 

[melwan]

What happens if I want to keep syncing with google for my contacts? I don't want to use icloud for this. What is the best way to go about this without creating duplicate contacts?

If you don't use iCloud at all, then just ignore this whole thread and setup your Gmail account using Exchange (Settings> Mail, Calendars, Contacts> Add New Account> Exchange). It's the only way to sync Gmail contacts over the air. You cannot use "Gmail" instead of Exchange for contacts.

On the other hand, if you use iCloud for some services and don't want to use with Contacts, then go to Settings > iCloud > toggle Contacts "off". That way iCloud won't be use for contacts sync. You should still follow the above instructions (in the first paragraph) to setup Goole contacts sync separately.

Hope this helps.

 

[melwan]

And what about those that use Windows like me?

Use the iOS method. Or google instructions to do the same thing using Outlook.

 

[rstark18]

When deleteing or turning off exchange contacts they are ALWAYS removed without the option of keeping them. You only get that prompt on non exchange accounts.

 

[anon(4742831)]

Why would you want to move your google contacts/mail to icloud? Why not keep google, and the auto sync? I know I love updating my contacts, and having it sync automatically with gmail/the web.

 

[cardfan]

Why would you want to move your google contacts/mail to icloud? Why not keep google, and the auto sync? I know I love updating my contacts, and having it sync automatically with gmail/the web.

That's a good question. If there's some key benefits, maybe someone can list them. I do know google messes up my contacts a lot. There's only 5GB in an icloud account.

The key thing that i liked about gmail in the past is the search and large amount of free storage.

I think i'll spend the weekend converting to icloud and not using google and cleaning up things. But i'll use my gmail for email only during the transition.

 

[zragone]

Why would you want to move your google contacts/mail to icloud? Why not keep google, and the auto sync? I know I love updating my contacts, and having it sync automatically with gmail/the web.

So if you have a 4S you can put in relationships that you can use with Siri.

With Google Contacts you're limited to spouse, manager, and assistant. If its an iCloud contact you have a whole host you can use, including custom.

Unfortunately when I go to turn off the contacts in exchange or turn off the exchange all together it prompts me to either remove it or cancel...not keep it.

 

[rstark18]

That's a good question. If there's some key benefits, maybe someone can list them. I do know google messes up my contacts a lot. There's only 5GB in an icloud account.

The key thing that i liked about gmail in the past is the search and large amount of free storage.

I think i'll spend the weekend converting to icloud and not using google and cleaning up things. But i'll use my gmail for email only during the transition.

So you're going to stop using Gmail? I REALLY like Gmail as an email service but that also forces me to use their contacts and calendar because of the tight integration between the three. That is the reason I would like a cross platform sync of some sort.

 

[rstark18]

Pretty good solution!

Okay, here is my solution to this that works really well for me. Here is what I want:
Full field labels from iCloud. (usually Google changes email fields to Other)
Full res pics for incoming calls.
If Google Contacts offered these then I wouldn't bother with iCloud.
So what I did was:
Import my Google contacts into iCloud. (see previous post in this thread).
I already had Google Exchange set up and running.
Turn on iCloud Contacts on iPhone.
iOS5 automatically links exact names without showing them as duplicates.
Under All Contacts do any editing you want (set pic, label fields, etc.)
That will update both iCloud AND Google.
iOS5 is smart enough to use iCloud Contact info first so you get all the benefit of iCloud but any updates also get pushed to Google Contacts.
I've been using it for the last few hours and so no drawbacks.
I think this will work for the majority out there that have been sealing with this issue.

 

[macmixing]

google contacts to icloud

surely there is an easy way to do this?

Here hope this video helps! I got a ton of tutorials my channel!

Google Contacts to iCloud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66-dOR4pPJU

 

[rstark18]

Just a note on my high-res pictures, they're not showing up in contacts anymore with iCloud linked contacts.

 

[Tink.Deb]

It all seems confusing but the advantage that I can see is: if I stay and intend to upgrade to 4s it is the best advantage to change from google to iCloud now. So, the task will begin and hopefully go smoothly since I am a total newbie.

 

[redneck86]

I was wanting to sync my contacts from the cloud to Thunderbird(Mozilla mail client) But I dont think
Apple recognizes the thunderbird client as a outlook express alternative.

Do yall know if it does use it or am I just setting it up wrong.

 

[SnapThrow]

OK here is what I did with a couple changes in { }

(1) {Delete all contacts in iCloud to start fresh}
(2) {turned off contacts in Gmail Exchange settings and contacts are deleted off iPhone}
(3) Plug iPhone into iTunes and sync contacts with gmail using your gmail login ID in contacts menu. This gets the contacts {back} onto your phone.
(4) Uncheck the sync contacts with gmail in iTunes, contacts will still be there.
(5) Turn on iCloud contacts in settings and contacts will sync with iCloud.

Now my Gmail contacts are duplicated in iCloud. But now what I want is my Gmail and iCloud contacts to sync ideally in the cloud -- is this possible? Even if it is via iTunes or on the iPhone it would be fine.

Next I want to duplicate my Gmails calendars in the iCloud calendar app and then keep them in sync.

 

[thebignewt#IM]

Good thread. I see 2 ways to do this synch: one is to export the Google contacts to a vCard and then open iCloud-Contacts and drag the vCard file in there. The other is to connect the iPhone to iTunes, and put the Google contacts on the phone from there, then iCloud grabs the contacts off the phone. Am I seeing this right, that there are 2 ways to skin the cat?